CULPEPER, Va. (7News) — Three Culpeper teens didn’t hesitate when they saw a family struggling in Lake Culpeper, jumping in to rescue two adults and a young child after their kayaks capsized Monday afternoon, police said.
Around 3:35 p.m. Monday, Culpeper police received a report of a family stranded in the water, with a child who cannot swim, after their kayaks overturned.
Before first responders arrived, Andrew Tuggle, 15, Jackson Castro, 17, and Gavin Cain, 17, all members of the Eastern View High School golf team, spotted the family while attending tryouts at the nearby Culpeper Country Club.
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While teammates called 911 and alerted their coaches, the three teens ran to the shore, jumped in and swam to the family, according to police.
Three Culpeper teens, Andrew Tuggle, 15, Jackson Castro, 17, and Gavin Caine, 17, jumped into Lake Culpeper to rescue a family after their kayaks capsized on Monday, July 31, 2026. (Culpeper Police Department)
Tuggle, Castro and Cain brought the family back to shore before going back for the kayaks. Police said none of the family members was injured because they were wearing life jackets.
According to police, the rescue was even more challenging because of the steep, overgrown shoreline between December Court and the Lake Culpeper Dam water intake.
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Eastern View High School golf coach Patrick Thornhill applauded the teens for their bravery.
“The instinct and courage these young men showed to jump into action and save lives is heroic,” Thornhill said. “I could not be prouder of them.”
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